1) Stupid broken foot is playing havoc with my life. Trying to figure out what to do with MD, she came up with the cool idea of wandering through a tunnel art exhibit - only one problem, foot is not quite up to snuff. I'm off the boot, but on a cane. And it is slowww going. Wondering if the damn thing will ever feel normal again. It has on the other hand given me a whole new appreciation of people who are hobbling around NY on crutches and canes and wheelchairs. Brave weary souls.

Actually my whole body is playing havoc with my life. This perimenupausal thing is driving me crazy. And I though puberty a pain. Hmmm. A cakewalk in comparison to this. Don't worry, different for everyone. Be nice if it weren't. But it is what is.

2) Quotes:

* Depression is rage spread thin. - George Santayana

[Of course further down on brainy quotes - someone states that boredom is rage spread thin. Having felt both and in tandem? I'd agree.]

* Quarrel? Nonsense; we have not quarreled. If one is not to get into a rage sometimes, what is the good of being friends? - - George Eliot

[As an aside, one of the things I love most about my mother is that she's willing to admit when she is wrong and will apologize. It is a trait I've worked hard to emulate, not always succeeding. In stark contrast this tendency of hers annoys my brother - which I suppose explains my difficult relationship with him.]

* Any reviewer who expresses rage and loathing for a novel is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae. - Kurt Vonnegut

[Rather adore this quote. Makes me want to read Vonnegut.]

3.) You can tell I've been reading too many historical romance novels, I'm starting to write like them. In brittle formal prose with touches of poetry. Not quite as brittle as the classics. Am a bit of a writing mimic - I'm afraid. Well, that and a touch of railroad speak which is a close cousin to legal speak, or formal business writing.

Current romance novel that I'm reading is The Unwilling Bride by Jo Beverly - about a schoolmistress who was raised on the precepts of Mary Wollanstonecraft's the Rights of Women, who is forced by her father to marry his wife's illegitimate son, in order to continue his line. Apparently he has no sons. His wife had a bastard boy that he raised as his own and gave his name to. And suddenly he's discovered this illegitimate daughter who he can marry to the illegitimate son...and get a legitimate heir to the Dukedom. The daughter and son have no say in this. Much hilarity and chaos and angst ensues. Leading of course to romance.

The Amazon reviewers were mixed - some people hated the suggestion of domestic violence and abuse, others' applauded the writers gumption in tackling a difficult topic and doing it from their perspective at least well. Oh well, it does have more humor than the last book, Meredith Duran's At Your Pleasure, if a lot less sex. Mileage obviously varies on this - but I prefer humor to sex scenes, although sex scenes can be humorous, often unintentionally.

Personally? I feel a need to quote Vonnegut to the naysayers. That said, emotional reactions are not rational things. Particularly when they are hormone or chemically induced. I know this from personal experience - having ranted shamelessly and rather embarrassingly over many a cultural thing in the past.

4) Summer TV?


* Falling Skies - compelling, if filled to the brim with science fiction cliches. (Alien/human baby with magical abilities? Check. Aliens who appear nice but may not be? Check. Humans becoming aliens? Check. Believing the nightmare is just a dream under torture?
check.) But other than that - a rather fun study of how a specific group of humans handle the destruction of everything they cared about with hope, faith, and wry humor. It reminds me, oddly at times, of Angel and Connor and Angel Investigations fighting the apocalypse, without super-powers.

* Orphan Black - devoured it in less than three days. Loved it. Highly recommend. It is chock full of science fiction cliches/tropes as well, but similar to Falling Skies, they were fun and well I liked them so it didn't bother me. Let's face it at this stage in the game, it's sort of hard to write anything that isn't chock full of cliches or overdone tropes. Depends on how they are written.

* Broadchurch - so far so good. Gripping British mystery, with a good cast, and good dialogue. It's more than a mystery, it's also a story of a small sea-side town.

* Covert Affairs - getting close to giving up. It's not holding my interest for some reason.
I don't know why - it should. I miss, weirdly, Jay Wilcox, and the Isralie agent.

* Breaking Bad - so far so good. A bit slow, but still compelling. Continues the downward trajectory of a modern day Macbeth.

* Dexter - haven't watched S6 or S7...just haven't been able to get up the interest. Part of my problem may be that I'm slightly spoiled and my favorite character is Debra. And I was not happy by what I saw in the spoilers regarding her arc.

* True Blood - not holding my interest this season, not sure why.

* Under the Dome - gave up on it when TWC dropped CBS from my tv. Not that I was into it anyhow. It's chock-filled with time-worn cliches too - but unlike Orphan Black and Falling Skies - not in a good way, but in a boring Syfy movie sort of way.

* Defiance - one of the better sci-fi series to pop up. Reminded me of Babylon 5 mashed with Firefly. Got a little convoluted and wonky towards the end, but overall a fun ride.

* The Bridge - thisclose to giving up on it. Sort of dragging and I'm finding it hard to follow, my attention drifts away from it.

*The Tudors - gave up half-way through the first season. I got bored of the heaving bosoms and political talk after a bit. Lacked humor. Took itself far too seriously. This is my problem with primetime soap operas...they take themselves far too seriously.

* John Addams - the HBO miniseries - almost put me to sleep last night. I get the appeal, but I've also studied the history and know it like the back of my hand...so watching the series is, well, not exactly compelling.

* Parade's End - keep trying to watch it, it keeps putting me to sleep or my attention wanders.

Frankly? TV's been depressing this summer. Too many dark and gritty series. I did re-watch some OUAT episodes, which were bright and cheerful (in comparison to the above list).
My problem with OUAT is the writing doesn't quite satisfy me. Not sure how to explain this - except that watching the series feels a bit like eating a chocolate mousse. You love it, you want more. But when you have more, you still feel that odd feeling of eating air?

I like the characters, I like the narrative structure, but there's something slightly off...as if the characters emotions are encased behind a thick glass wall and I can't quite get to them. I can't explain it. It's a personal thing, no doubt. At any rate, I enjoy the series - it pushes a lot of my story kink buttons in a really good way, plus the narrative structure intrigues me. I'm a sucker for wonky narrative structures. But...I can't quite get obsessed or fannish over it in the way I'd like to. It's weird.